Strange But True

You like weird facts, I like weird facts!

So here's some facts: 1700 - 1900

"Green turns blue with distance. A good way of showing this is to tear a roundish hole in any large bright green leaf, such as a burdock, and to hold it at half-arm's length so that a part of a distant landscape is seen through the hole, and the eye sees also the whole surface of the leaf."

"A blind man was once laughed at for going to select a farm. On being helped out of the vehicle, he asked that the horse might be led to a bunch of thistles. He was told here were none. Then he remarked that docks would do as well. This request they were able to gratify. He subsequently bought the farm. When asked the reason for his "cranky" desires, he replied that thistles grew on poor land, docks only on rich soil."

"Take three onions, three carrots, about three turnips, one small cabbage, one bunch of celery, and one pint of stewed tomatoes. Chop all of the vegetables very finely, and set over the fire in four or five quarts of water; when these are thoroughly boiled, strain and add to the soup about two teaspoons of graham flour wetted in cold water; a small piece of butter, pepper and salt; then boil again about twenty minutes, and it is ready for the table. This is for the vegetarian, or the man who is afraid of the juice of meat. But the vegetarian dies--and Graham himself is dead"
--Sylvester Graham (1794-1851) He promoted the use of coarsely ground whole wheat flour, which became known as "graham" flour, and is best remembered for graham crackers, which were also named after him. --

"The movements of the squash vine when pressed by hunger or thirst are truly wonderful. During a severe drought, place a basin of water at night, say two feet from a strong vine, and in the morning it will be found bathing in the basin. Is not this an indication of thought in the vine?"

(Where I was born, it's illegal...)
*for a child to burp during church. (The parents will be arrested.)
*to go whale fishing.
*for a bar owner to sell beer, unless cooking a kettle of soup at the same time.
Elsewhere...
*In every episode of Seinfeld, there's a Superman...